Erie park to open two new rides in 2018

Waldameer to spend about $1 million to buy and install the attractions.

David Bruce @ETNBruce

Waldameer Park & Water World visitors will have two new attractions to ride in 2018.

The Millcreek Township amusement park will install a Samba Balloon Ride for children and adults in the park, and a Cannonbowl 30 tube slide as part of the water park. Both rides are expected to be ready for the start of the 2018 season.

"We're in the middle of a five- to six-year expansion of the water park, but we also wanted to add something to the amusement park as well," Waldameer owner Paul Nelson said. "We will start getting ready for the new rides as soon as the season ends in September."

Buying and installing the new rides will cost about $1 million, Nelson said. It follows the water park's $2.5 million Battle of Lake Erie water playground that opened in July.

The Samba Balloon Ride is built by Zamperla, an Italian-based company that has built six other Waldameer rides. The attraction features eight cars that can hold up to four people each and are decorated to look like balloon baskets.

The balloon ride rotates, rises and falls, and is designed for children and their parents, Nelson said.

"We're a family park, not just a park for teenagers," Nelson said. "We needed a nice, family ride with a good capacity. This ride can hold 32 people."

The Cannonbowl 30 is built by ProSlide, an Ontario-based company. It's a two-person tube slide where riders are swept into a bowl at a high speed and spin several times around the wall of the bowl.

Riders will have to be at least 42 inches tall to ride the Cannonbowl 30.

"It will be a thrilling ride for older kids and young adults," Waldameer President Steve Gorman said.

The balloon ride will be located near Kiddieland, while the Cannonbowl 30 will be installed off the same platform as two of the water park's slides, Gorman said.

Waldameer also is selling 2018 season passes. Those who buy them now also receive admission to the park for the rest of the 2017 season.

The cost is $99.95 for those 48 inches and taller, a slight increase from the $96 charged for the 2017 season pass.

David Bruce can be reached at 870-1736 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNbruce.